Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on Thursday asked the Kerala government to appoint a nodal officer to ensure that the benefits of central government schemes reach tribal people, an official statement said.
During a visit to the state, Munda also urged an investigation into the rising infant mortality rate in the Attappadi region, it said.
The minister expressed concern that tribals, who account for only 2 per cent of Kerala's population, have not been granted land ownership rights even after 75 years of independence, according to the statement.
Munda emphasised the Modi government's commitment to providing quality education to tribal children in their mother tongue and announced the opening of Eklavya Model Residential Schools in 740 tribal-dominated blocks across India.